Designed by Antonov Aircraft
Design
Bureau the An-124 "Ruslan" is a long range heavy transport
aircraft. Only a small number of the 54
Antonov An-124 "Ruslan" aircraft delivered by the late 1995 are
assigned directly to the air transport arm of the Russian air forces, but
there is provision for most if not all civil-registered aircraft to be
called into military service.

Named after Pushkin's legendary giant, the
An-124 is in many respects comparable to the slightly smaller C-5 Galaxy.
The An-124 remains the world's largest production aircraft, with only
one-off six-engined An-225 being bigger,
and it has a set of world records. Designed to meet a requirements issued
by Aeroflot and the Soviet air forces for a long-range heavy transport to
replace the turboprop-powered An-22
"Antei", the An-124 first flew on 26 December 1982. The type
entered service with the Soviet air forces in 1987.

The aircraft has an
upward-hinging "visor-type" nose (with a folding nose ramp) and
an enormous set of rear loading doors (with a three part folding ramp).
The vast cargo hold has a titanium floor with roller gangs and retractable
cargo tie-down points. 24-wheel chassis allows to operate aircraft
from poor condition airfields, snow bounded territories. For
ease of loading the aircraft can be made to "kneel" in a
nose-down position by retracting the nose wheels and supporting the nose on
retractable feet.

It is only lightly
pressurized although
there is a fully pressurized upper passenger deck for up to 88 passengers accompanying the
equipment and cargo. Because
of this aircraft cannot transport
passengers in the main cargo compartment except at low altitude.

Equipped with a fly-by-wire controls, the An-124 has a
supercritical wing, and makes extensive use of composite materials for
weight saving. Other electronic equipment includes meteorological radiolocation
station and navigation radar. It is also completed with a soviet global
positioning system. Aircraft carries no armament.

It is capable of carrying virtual any load, including
virtually all Russian armored fighting vehicles, helicopters and other
military cargo. In one trip An-124 is capable of airlifting up to four
Mi-8, Ka-27,
Ka-32 helicopters or up to three
MiG-29
or Su-25 aircraft. Aircraft is also
used to paradrop on airdrop platforms such combat equipment as infantry
fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, armored reconnaissance vehicles.Their
combat crews are paradropped in two flows via the rear cargo doors, on
dropping the last cargo. Furthermore An-124 navigation system
provides aimed paradropring.

An An-124-100M version of the An-124 with Western
avionics, and an An-124-102 with electronic flight instrumentation system flight deck and three-person crew,
have also been offered to potential customers. Various other
modifications, including the installation of Western engines, have also
been proposed. Nevertheless, Russia remains the only military operator of
the "Ruslan".